Nori Helps Bridge Gap but Threshers Fall in Walkoff 

WP: Wilker Reyes (6-2, 3.32)

LP: Titan Hayes (0-1, 1.80)

BOX SCORE

FORT MYERS, FL – The Clearwater Threshers (58-61, 15-38) came back from a five-run deficit but fell 9-7 in ten innings to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (64-52, 33-18) on Tuesday night at Hammond Stadium. When they return for game two on Wednesday, Clearwater looks to even the series.

Fort Myers got on the board first with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to open the scoring and take an early 1-0 lead. Back-to-back home runs with one out in the third inning quadrupled the Mighty Mussels’ advantage to 4-0. They added run number five on a double steal in the fourth, including a steal of home that put Fort Myers ahead by five.

Joel Dragoo reached on a throwing error to start the top of the fifth inning, sending him to second after the errant throw landed in the Threshers’ first-base dugout. After Carson DeMartini was hit by a pitch, Raider Tello drove Dragoo home on a single to plate the Threshers’ first run of the game, moving DeMartini to third.

After the first out of the inning, Kodey Shojinaga drew a walk off Mighty Mussels starter Cesar Lares to load the bases. Avery Owusu-Asiedu beat out an infield hit on the next pitch to plate DeMartini from third and cut the deficit to three runs. Dante Nori came up with two outs in the frame and clubbed a two-run single to chase Lares from the contest and put the Threshers within one run. Eduardo Tait greeted the new Mighty Mussels reliever, Juan Mercedes, with an RBI single into right to tie the game at five.

The tie didn’t last long, with Fort Myers taking the lead back in the bottom of the fifth inning. But the lead didn’t last long for Fort Myers either, with the top of the sixth starting with a double by Tello. He moved to third on a single by Shojinaga, and a throwing error by Fort Myers reliever Logan Whitaker allowed Tello to score from third and even the game at six runs apiece.

Tait started the seventh with a single and moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt by Whitaker. In the next at-bat, Dragoo hit a slow groundball to second that was misplayed by Fort Myers second baseman Angel Del Rosario. As the baseball ricocheted off his glove into right field, Tait took advantage and came home from third, giving the Threshers their first lead of the night at 7-6.

Fort Myers led off the bottom of the eighth with their third home run of the night to tie the game at seven. Both teams put runners on in the ninth, but the game remained tied and headed into extra innings. After the Threshers went down in order in the top of the tenth, Mighty Mussels shortstop Brandon Winokur sent the first pitch of the bottom of the tenth to the berm in left for a walkoff home run, sealing a 9-7 loss for Clearwater.

Juan Amarante allowed four runs on six hits with two walks in 3.0 innings of a no-decision. Jose Peña allowed two runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 2.0 innings, Tristan Garnett walked one, struck out one, and allowed one hit in 1.0 shutout inning. Kyler Carmack allowed one run, one hit, one walk and three strikeouts in 2.0 innings. Titan Hayes (0-1) took the loss in 1.0 inning with two runs on one hit and one walk.

Amarante ended the game with a no-decision for his first time as a Thresher...Tait has a game-tying RBI in each of the last two games...Nori recorded multiple RBIs in a game for the second time in his pro career...In his longest outing as a pro, Carmack set a new career-high with three strikeouts...Tello and Tait have driven in a run in each of the last three games...Tello has scored at least one run in each of the last six...The Threshers begin their final road trip of the 2024 regular season with a six-game series against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on Wednesday, August 28...First pitch will be at 7:05 PM EST...You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The Box Office at BayCare Ballpark is also open daily to purchase Threshers tickets…The hours are 10 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and 10 AM-3 PM on Saturdays.